Safety neck-yoke.



No. 848,826. PATENTED APR. 2, 1907. H. T. HOOKER.

' SAFETY NECK YOKE.

APPLICATION FILED we. 8. 1906.

IIALSTEAD T. HOOKER, OF MARYVILLE, MISSOURI.

SAFETY NECK-YOKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed August 6, 1906. Serial No. 329,462.

T at when 1 it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALsTEAD T. HOOKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Maryville, in the county of N odaway and State of Missouri,have invented a new, useful, and Improved Safety Neck-Yoke, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which correspondingletters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which may be usedeither as a neckyoke for supporting the tongues of vehicles or as asafety attachment to be used in connection therewith, said device beingmade light and simple and so constructed that it may, in effect, form apart of the harness.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination of elementshereinafter more particularly described, and definitely pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved safetyappliance as it would appear when connected with a pole of a vehicle,"and Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of a vehicle-pole, showing theyoke portion of said device connected therewith, one of the arms thereofbeing removed to more clearly display the strap connection.

Referring to the drawings, 0. represents generally a metal yoke,preferably cast in steel or malleable iron or stamped from heavy sheetmetal. Said device is provided with a ring portion 6, having an openingtherein adapted to receive the end of an ordinary vehicle-pole c.Integral with the ring I) and branching in opposite directions therefromare upwardly-bent arms (1 (1, each having a loop 0 upon its upper endfor the reception of a strap f. Each of the straps f is provided with abuckle g for adjusting its length and a snap-hook 71, for connecting thesame with aring or staple upon the hame or other part of the harness.

Integrally formed upon or otherwise attached to the top portion of thering I) is a rearwardly-extended arm or loop 01, having an elongatedopening therein for the reception of a guard-strap is, which is providedwith a buckle or other suitable fastening device Z. The loop-arm i isarranged to extend above and preferably parallel with the pole c, whichis provided with the usual stop m upon the under side.

In attaching the device the strap 7c is unbuckled and the pole isprojected through the ring until the latter rests against the stop m.The strap Z6 is then buckled around the pole in the manner shownbehind'the stop. This feature is of primary importance as a factor ofsafety. Not only is it desirable to provide means to enable the team tohold back the load in case of the breaking of the ordinary neck-yoke,but it is also equally desirable to prevent the tongue from becomingdisconnected in case a tug should break or become unhitched. The latteris frequently a source of serious accident. With my improved device theteam is not only enabled to hold back the load, but by reason of the armi and strap 70, which latter is connected to the pole behind the step712, the breaking of a tug will not permit the pole to be released.

It is obvious that an ordinary neck-yoke may be attached to the poleimmediately in front of the ring I); but, as stated, the device may beused without it. In either event it is only necessary to buckle orunbuckle the strap 7c in connecting the device to or disconnecting itfrom a vehicle, it being unnecessary todetach it from the harness.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A safety device forsupporting vehicle poles, consisting of a transverse yoke having a ringfor the reception of the end of the pole in front of the pole-stop,means for connecting the respective ends thereof with the harness, ashort rearwardly-extended arm conneoted with said ring above the poleand a strap attached to said arm, said strap being provided with adetachable fastening device and arranged to encircle the poleimmediately behind and in contact with the polestop, whereby said stopmay be caused to engage the ring upon one side and the strap upon theother.

2. A safety device of the class described, comprising a yoke formed inone piece with pole rlng, a short integral rearwardly-exspecification,in the presence of two subscribtended arm, a loop therein for thereception loops at the respective ends, an intermediate In testimonywhereof I have signed this l lng Witnesses, this 1st day of August,1906.

of a strap and a strap therein provided with a HALSTEAD T. HOOKER. 5buckle, said loop being parallel with the axis Witnesses:

of the pole to enable the strap to encircle the JOHN G. THQRNHILL,

latter. I GEO. P. SHOFTAUGH.

